Severn Trent has urged customers to avoid 'Block Friday' this Black Friday.

The water company wants people to help prevent costly blockages and flooding at home as they prepare for the annual festive discount day.

Shoppers are being asked to spare a minute to think about what they are putting down the toilet or sink and if any changes can be made to protect their homes from blockages and flooding.

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Severn Trent wants to make sure that everyone is working together to prevent a ‘Block Friday’ in their home, which could be costly to fix.

The company has said it knows winter can be a challenging time for its customers and is encouraging people to "weather the winter together".

It is providing helpful tips to help people protect their homes from things like costly blockages and burst pipes, as well as support when it comes to bills.

Grant Mitchell, the company's blockages lead and winter helper, said: "Let’s make this Friday a ‘Black Friday’ with lots of shopping and savings, rather than a ‘Block Friday’ that could cause a nasty surprise for customers and will need to be fixed.

"Now is the time to start thinking about the ways to protect the home and we have provided some great advice so that we can all ‘weather the winter together’."

Severn Trent managed to clear 28,782 blockages last year alone which could have been avoided if incorrect items were not put down the toilet and sink.

It has also successfully cleared 19 million litres of fats, oil, and greases from sewers, which is the equivalent of six Olympic-size swimming pools of FOG.

The company is providing several tips to get homes ready and keep them protected throughout the winter.

In the bathroom, only flush the three Ps - pee, poo, and toilet paper, and keep a bin in your bathroom for all unflushable items such as sanitary towels, tampons, nappies, and wipes.

In the kitchen, use kitchen roll to soak up grease from plates and pans before washing up, and collect used cooking oil, fat, and grease into a container, jar, or tin and put it in the bin once cool.